Getty Ty Dillon has his crew chief for the 2022 season.
GMS Racing has added an important piece for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. The team has announced that Jerame Donley will serve as crew chief for Ty Dillon and the No. 94 team.
The championship-winning organization issued a press release on Tuesday, November 16, announcing the news. Donley will lead the No. 94 team as GMS Racing takes on the Cup Series for the first time, likely starting with the Busch Light Clash in early February and continuing with the Daytona 500. This role will mark his first time serving as a crew chief.
NEWS: Jerame Donley tabbed as Crew Chief for @tydillon and the No. 94 Chevrolet team in 2022.
Prior to joining GMS Racing, Donley spent nine years with Chip Ganassi Racing. He served as an engineer for the No. 42 team and worked with such drivers as Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, and Ross Chastain. He also worked for Hendrick Motorsports as an underneath mechanic for drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, winning two Cup Series championships (2009 and 2010).
Dillon & Donley Will Work Together During a Test Session
With the announcement out in the open, Donley and Dillon will now head to Charlotte Motor Speedway. They will join other Cup Series teams for a two-day Next Gen test around the oval.
Dillon has previous experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the No. 94 Chevrolet Camaro. However, his last two-day test session took place at the Roval. He made laps around the road course while comparing his car to those driven by Kaz Grala, Ryan Blaney, Corey LaJoie, and William Byron among others.
The sessions will be critical for Dillon and Donley as they prepare for their first season together. They will be able to glean important information regarding drafting, tire wear, and other factors that will play a major role during the Daytona 500 and every other race on the schedule.
Multiple Teams Have Made Crew Chief Announcements
GMS Racing is not the only organization providing updates about the upcoming season. Multiple have made announcements about driver and crew chief pairings, including 23XI Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, and RFK Racing.
RPM announced on November 10 that Erik Jones will work with Dave Elenz during the 2022 Cup Series season. The veteran crew chief left JR Motorsports and the No. 9 team after the championship race at Phoenix. He will now work with the No. 43 team and help Jones fight for his third career win.
23XI Racing provided two big updates on Tuesday, November 16. The team confirmed that Bootie Barker will return as Bubba Wallace’s crew chief after guiding the No. 23 team to its first career win. Billy Scott will reunite with Kurt Busch as the crew chief of the No. 45 Toyota. The two men previously spent the 2018 season together with Stewart-Haas Racing.
RFK Racing, the team formerly known as Roush Fenway Racing, revealed on November 2 that Matt McCall will be Brad Keselowski’s crew chief as he takes over the No. 6 Ford Mustang. McCall served as Busch’s crew chief at Chip Ganassi Racing from 2019 until 2021, but now he will join forces with another Cup Series champion.
Donley joining GMS Racing is the latest announcement about the 2022 Cup Series season, but it will not be the last. There are multiple other teams that still have to provide updates about the upcoming season.
Front Row Motorsports, Rick Ware Racing, and Kaulig Racing all have to make announcements about drivers and crew chiefs in the coming months. Similarly, Stewart-Haas Racing has yet to confirm that Aric Almirola will return to the No. 10 Ford Mustang.